Pumping tank



I N V E NTO R J CARLETON s.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 PUMPING TANK c. s. MARDEN Sept. 17, 1963 Filed June 8, 1961 Sept. 17, 1963 c. s. MARDEN PUMPING TANK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 8, 1961 FIG. 2

FIG. 4 58 39' FIG. 5

INVENTOR CARLETON S. MARDEN svfiw, WWW! [W (I ATTO R N E S United States Patent 3,104,036 PUMPING TANK Carleton S. Mai-den, Boston, Mass, assignor, by mesne assignments, to King-Seeley Thermos (30., Ann Arbor, Mich a corporation of Michigan Filed June 8, 1961, Ser. No. 115,777 4 Claims. (Cl. 222-340) This invention relates generally to portable containers for storing and transporting liquids such as gasoline and particularly to a storage container having novel means for pumping liquids therefrom.

In accordance with the invention, a portable tank or container is provided wherein the tank body comprises an outer storage chamber for liquids which encompasses a self-contained pumping chamber. A piston is mounted for reciprocal movement in the pumping chamber, the piston being interconnected by a linkage system with a pump lever manually operable exterior to the tank body. A three-way double check valve is provided for passing liquid from the tank body to the pumping chamber during suction strokes of the piston, and for permitting liquid to flow from the pumping chamber to the exterior of the tank during pumping strokes thereof. The construction of the tank body and pumping chamber are such' that pressure created by the pumping action is substantially restricted to the pumping chamber without pressurizing the surrounding tank body.

As an important aspect of the invention, the piston is spring-biased so that energy will be stored in the spring during a suction stroke. This energy is subsequently released during a pumping stroke which results in forcing a specific amount of liquid from the pumping chamber. The linkage system and the pumping lever are constructed to provide a mechanical advantage and so that actuation of the pump lever is in a direction toward the tank when applying force thereto. The latter feature assures that the tank will remain securely in position while pumping takes place.

As a further aspect of the invention, the pumping tank disclosed herein is advantageously constructed substantially of sheet metal parts throughout to provide simplified and economical manufacture. Other advantages will be seen in the method of mounting the various internal working parts of the pump and valve mechanisms to the cover of the tank, for ease of handling, assembly, and to facilitate cleaning and repair.

These and other aspects of the invention will become apparent upon a detailed reading of the following description of a particular embodiment and of the accompanying drawing in which: I

FIG. 1 is an elevation in cross-section, with parts broken away of a pumping tank constructed according to the invention; and

FIGS. 2-5 are views taken in the directions of the respective identifying arrows of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawing, reference numeral designates generally a pumping tank having a dished-in top 11, a curved side wall 12 and a bottom wall 13. The bottom 13 is secured to the side wall 12 by a peripheral overlapping of the respective layers of sheet metal of each member to :form a sealed seam 14. The top 11 has a shoulder 16 formed therein adapted to rest upon the upper edge of the side Wall 12. A sealing strip 17 is provided intermediate the shoulder 16 and side wall, 12. The top 11 is drawn toward the bottom and held against the side wall by four posts 18 which are attached by welds 18' to the bottom 13. The posts 18 extend through the top 11 and accommodate resilient bushings 19 which act as seals when compressed by the threaded mounting nuts 20. Clamped intermediate each of the bushings 19 and nuts 20, is a downwardly curved hose retaining clip stroke.

15 which serves in part as a washer between the bushings and nuts.

Situated entirely within the tank body is a pumping chamber 21 defined bya cylinder 22 open at one end and having at the other a wall 23. The cylinder is secured to the top 11 by a sheet metal bracket 24 and welds 24'. The open end of the cylinder is sealed by a piston 25 fabricated by a laminate of two cup packings 25a, 25b of semi-resilient material such as, for example, Teflon (polytetrafiuoroethylene) or leather between sheet metal discs 25c, 25d. The cup packings 25a, 25b are bent over in opposite directions about their respective peripheries to form a two-way piston seal. The piston is connected to a telescoping spring guide 26 having an inner rod 26a and outer relatively slidable tube portion 26b. The inner rod 26a is affixed to the piston 25 at surface or collar 28 while the outer tube 26b is attached at the opposite end of the telescoping rod to a similar collar 28'. The tube 26b is supported adjacent the collar 28' by attachment to a bracket 29 which depends from and is secured to the top of the tank body 11 by means of welds 29. A compression spring 30 is coiled about the spring guide 26 and is held at each of its ends between the respective collars 28, 28'.

The piston 25 is, in addition to its connection with the spring guide rod 26a, pivotally connected at wrist pin 31a to a connecting rod 31b comprising part of a linkage actuating system 31. The connecting rod 31!) is pivotally connected by a crank pin to crank 31c rigidly affixed to a shaft 32. The shaft 32 is permitted rotative freedom and is mounted in a cup-shaped receptacle 33 formed within the top 11 (see FIG. 3). A seal is provided Where the shaft 32 extends from the interior of the tank through the receptacle by bushings 34 and 34 containing O-ring seals 35, 35'. A pump lever 36 is also rigidly secured to the shaft 32 and extends from within the receptacle exteriorto the tank body. When the lever 36 is to be stored, a clip 36a aflixed to the end thereof maybe hooked over the catch 37 attached to the side of the tank.

The pump lever 36 is, in effect, rigidly connected to the crank 310 such that pivotal movement of the pump lever will cause reciprocation of the piston 25 in the pumping chamber. The length of the lever 36 is suflicient in re} lation to the length of the moment arm comprising the crank 310 to provide approximately a 4:1 mechanical advantage. I

A three-way double check valve is provided for controlling the passage of fiuid first into the pumping chamber 21 from the outer tank body during a suction stroke of the piston 25, and for permitting liquid to flow from the pumping chamber out of the tank during a pumping Thevalve comprises a housing 33 having an inverted cup-shaped member 39 defining the top and side walls thereof. The cup 39 is crimped to form a seal at 40 about a plate 41. The latter has a central opening 42 communicating with a sump 43 formed in the bottom of the tank. A cup 44 is located within the cup 39 and is secured against movement relative thereto by means of.

stakings 45, 46 formed into the cups 39 and 44. The cup 44 defines a central opening 47 and has been formed with integral downward projections or dimples 48, spaced about the opem'ng. The cup 44 and plate 41 define an inlet chamber 49 which contains a valve disc 50.

Within the opposite end of the valve housing is a third sheet metal cup 51 held relative to the cup 39 by stakings 52, 52 in the two parts. The cup 51 has a fluid opening 53 and with the cup 39 defines an outlet chamber 54. The cup 39 has been formed with downward projections or dimples 39 which are spaced about an outlet opening 58, therein. Located within the outlet chamber 54 is a valve disc 56.

A tube 59 is crimped to [form a seal about the periphery of the outlet opening 58 and extends upwardly a 3 through the top 11 of the tank body to a connection with a hose 68. The hose 68 may be equipped with a nozzle (not shown) for regulating or controlling the outflow of liquid therefrom. The pumping chamber 21 communicates with a central chamber 61 in the valve housing by a tubular passageway 62.

In operation, by depressing the pump lever 36 from its dotted-line position of FIG. 1 to its full-line horizontal position, the piston will be moved toward the right in the pumping chamber. The spring 38 coiled around the spring guide 26 will be compressed, thereby storing energy in opposition to the piston movement toward the right. Concurrently, suction will be created within the pumping chamber which will tend to draw fluid from the valve housing 38. The lower valve memher or disc 59 will be drawn upwardly against the stop projections 43 and liquid Will flow into the inlet chamber 49, then around the disc 50 through the opening 47 and into the pumping chamber 21 by way of the passageway 62. The upper valve disc 56 will be drawn against the opening 53 to prevent the passage of air from the hose 60 and tube 59 into the valve housing.

Upon the release of downward pressure against the pump lever 36, the spring will move the piston 25 toward the left in the pumping chamber thereby creating pump pressure. Liquid will be forced through the passageway 62 into the central chamber 61 in the valve housing and internal pressure therein will force the lower disc 50 into sealing contact with the lower plate 41 of the housing. Simultaneously, the upper valve disc 56 will be lifted against the projections 57 and liquid will flow through the openings 53, 58 and out of the tube 59 into the hose 60. During the pumping stroke of the piston 25, the spring 30 will supply the entire force necessary to move the piston fully to its dotted line position of FIG. 1, which movement will result in a specific or metered quantity of liquid pumped from the chamber.

Particular advantages of the foregoing construction and operation of the pumping tank are found in the following: When the pump lever 36 is first depressed to draw in liquid from the outer tank body into the pumping chamber, substantially no change in pressure results within the tank body. This minimizes the possibility of leakage from the tank body and the attendant hazards of fire. A further consideration is that conventional nonpressurized liquid seals may be employed throughout the tank body construction and the tank body itself need not be constructed to withstand pressure. It will be appreciated that this factor alone permits of relatively inexpensive construction. Thus, substantially all of the structure disclosed, including the tank body, the pumping chamber and its piston may be manufactured simply and economically by using sheet metal parts throughout. Moreover, the pumping chamber, piston, its linkage and valve assembly are all mounted to the removable tank cover for ease of assembly and servicing.

Another advantage is that force applied to the pump lever 36 is at all times in a direction tending to anchor the tank firmly upon the floor or support beneath the tank. When the pump lever is actuated or depressed to draw liquid into the pumping chamber, additional energy is stored in the spring 30 for complete actuation of the piston during the pumping stroke. Thus, the lever 36 need only be released to provide a regulated quantity of liquid pumping from the chamber 21.

It will be understood that the foregoing description relates to a specific embodiment and is merely representative. Therefore, in order to appreciate fully the spirit and scope of the invention, reference should be made to the appended claims in which I claim:

1. A portable tank for containing liquids comprising a tank body of a sheet metal material defining an outer storage chamber, a horizontally extending cylinder lo cated Within said storage chamber and separated from the side walls of said tank body, an end wall fixed to one end of said cylinder, a piston mounted for horizontal reciprocal movement in said cylinder and forming with said cylinder and wall a pumping chamber, a suhstantially horizontal connecting rod pivotably attached at one end to said piston, a vertically extending crank pivotedly attached at one end to said connecting rod, a rotatable shaft pivotedly connected to said crank and extending through and journalled in a portion of said tank body, a pumping lever rigidly affixed to said shaft and extending externally of said tank body, normally closed inlet valve means opening to admit liquid flow from said storage chamber into said pumping chamber when said piston moves outwardly of said cylinder on a suction stroke, normally closed outlet valve means opening to permit liquid fiow from said pumping chamber when said piston moves inwardly of said cylinder on a pumping stroke, and resilient means for urging said piston inwardly of said cylinder in a pumping stroke direction.

2. A tank according to claim 1 in which said tank body comprises top, bottom, and side walls, said bottom being joined to the lower edge of said side wall by a con tinuous seam formed 'by an over-lapping lamination of the respective peripheries of said bottom and side walls to form a sealed joint, said top is a dished-in sheet metal cover having an annular shoulder adapted to seat against the upper edge of said side wall, a sealing element contacting said upper edge of said side wall and located intermediate said side wall and shoulder, and tension means afiixed to said bottom and top walls for drawing together said top and bottom walls.

3. A tank according to claim 1 in which said piston is attached to a variable length spring guide anchored at one end to said tank body, said resilient means comprises a compression spring coiled about the length of said guide and abutment means adjacent the ends of said guide for reacting against said spring when said guide changes in length due to reciprocation of said piston.

4. A tank according to claim 3 in which said pumping chamber, linkage system and valve means are supported by attachment to the top of said tank, and are removable with said top from the remainder of said tank body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,676,358 Schott July 10, 1928 1,715,522 Townsend et al. June 4, 1929 2,474,748 McM'urray June 28, 1949 2,496,821 Smith Feb. 7, 1950 2,548,987 Mayo Apr. 17, 1951 2,672,622 Foster Mar. 23, 1954 2,811,284 Rogers Oct. 29, 1957 2,856,101 Vermette Oct. 14, 1958 

1. A PORTABLE TANK FOR CONTAINING LIQUIDS COMPRISING A TANK BODY OF A SHEET METAL MATERIAL DEFINING AN OUTER STORAGE CHAMBER, A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING CYLINDER LOCATED WITHIN SAID STORAGE CHAMBER AND SEPARATED FROM THE SIDE WALLS OF SAID TANK BODY, AN END WALL FIXED TO ONE END OF SAID CYLINDER, A PISTON MOUNTED FOR HORIZONTAL RECIPROCAL MOVEMENT IN SAID CYLINDER AND FORMING WITH SAID CYLINDER AND WALL A PUMPING CHAMBER, A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL CONNECTING ROD PIVOTABLY ATTACHED AT ONE END TO SAID PISTON, A VERTICALLY EXTENDING CRANK PIVOTEDLY ATTACHED AT ONE END TO SAID CONNECTING ROD, A ROTATABLE SHAFT PIVOTEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID CRANK AND EXTENDING THROUGH AND JOURNALLED IN A PORTION OF SAID TANK BODY, A PUMPING LEVER RIGIDLY AFFIXED TO SAID SHAFT AND EXTENDING EXTERNALLY OF SAID TANK BODY, NORMALLY CLOSED INLET VALVE MEANS OPENING TO ADMIT LIQUID FLOW FROM SAID STORAGE CHAMBER INTO SAID PUMPING CHAMBER WHEN SAID PISTON MOVES OUTWARDLY OF SAID CYLINDER ON A SUCTION STROK, NORMALLY CLOSED OUTLET VALVE MEANS OPENING TO PERMIT LIQUID FLOW FROM SAID PUMPING CHAMBER WHEN SAID PISTON MOVES INWARDLY OF SAID CYLINDER ON A PUMPING STROKE, AND RESILIENT MEANS FOR URGING SAID PISTON INWARDLY OF SAID CYLINDER IN A PUMPING STROKE DIRECTION. 